Awakening
by Angell4NEPatriots
Summary: Sequel to Atonement...The bond between Ryan and Taylor continues to grow after spending time together following the College Sweatshirt Party...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own the OC. All mistakes are mine, for which I apologize for in advance.**

**This is somewhat a filler chapter and sets the stage for the next update. I am nervous, more nervous about this one than I was the last after all of those great reviews I received. The pressure is on not to disappoint. LOL Thank you so much to those who have read Atonement! Your reviews were amazing and meant so much to me!! Ok now enough of my rambling…**

_**Awakening**_

Taylor awoke with a smile on her face

Taylor awoke with a smile on her face. Before her eyes even opened her first waking thought was last night had to of been the best night of her life despite the fact that no sex had been involved. Taylor couldn't believe how last night had worked out; it couldn't have gone better had she actually schemed for those stolen moments with Ryan.

She opened her eyes and immediately focused her attention on the figure at the other end of the "L" shaped sofa. She was careful not to wake him as they had just fallen asleep right before dawn, almost four hours ago. She should have been tired but she rarely got more than four hours a night anyway, any more than that she found to be unproductive despite what all the medical journals argued to the contrary. She was feeling quite refreshed and exhilarated due to hours of talking to Ryan until he had finally fallen asleep. As if that hadn't been enough of a surprise, the true shocker would probably be the fact that he had done most of the talking, while she listened intently to everything he had to say. It was sometimes difficult but she exerted incredible self control and hadn't interrupted him once in her excitement. She waited patiently until he finished and more often than not his answers usually led to additional questions from her. She took the opportunity to ascertain the reality and fiction of Ryan Atwood by inquiring about every rumor that had ever been associated with him. To her complete astonishment he never got angry with her sometimes probing, personal questions. He had actually been very pleasant company and she tried just as hard to return the favor.

Watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, she reflected on all she had learned about the guy who had secretly intrigued her from the moment he had first appeared at Harbor. Through their countless conversations she deduced that Ryan's reputation as a bad boy and trouble was mostly unfounded. Not that that would have been a problem for her, the bad boy image he had earned was really quite appealing. But realistically it seemed to her that most of the troubles he had endured were due to his hero complex and a deep desire to help his friends no matter the cost to himself. The more Taylor had discovered, the more fascinated she became with the guy she had spent the night with. Not wanting to spoil what she hoped was the start of a genuine friendship she had wisely kept her opinions to herself on one Marissa Cooper! It didn't take a genius for her to know that was the quickest and most effective way to alienate him, as he was very protective of Marissa. Taylor wasn't one to normally keep her mouth shut; in fact she had a terrible habit of speaking her thoughts before assessing how much damage control she would have to do to amend her missteps afterwards. The motivation to keep Ryan talking was the only thing that prevented her from sharing all the thoughts she had on **_that_** girl! Taylor had never been a fan of the girl, mostly because she had spent her life being completely jealous of her and all that she seemed to have going for her. Throughout the years when Veronica was at her most vicious, Taylor would find herself being compared to Marissa, listening to an infinite list outlining all of Taylor's shortcomings and her mother would always conclude the lecture by wondering why her daughter couldn't be more like Marissa Cooper. But after hearing the bits and pieces of what Marissa had put Ryan though, it was enough for Taylor to develop an extreme dislike for her and a grateful attitude that she wasn't anything like her, at least she hoped not. In her opinion Marissa was a spoiled, selfish, self-involved, supremely ungrateful girl who was largely responsible for all of the crazy situations Ryan found himself in. She knew without a doubt he wouldn't share her perception of things however that didn't make it any less true either. If she gave it too much thought it would make her absolutely furious because she was certain Marissa didn't appreciate Ryan's compassion or his loyalty; quite the opposite, as she had her suspicions that Marissa wasn't above taking advantage of those same wonderful qualities and expected Ryan to always be there to save her. Taylor wished she didn't envy Marissa so much for the fact that she had someone so caring and steadfast in her life. Some would call Marissa a troubled young girl but Taylor decided she was just a complete idiot! She realized most would not agree with her assessment, they would probably even call her a total bitch for harboring such a harsh attitude toward Harbor's Reigning Drama Queen but Taylor found it impossible to empathize with someone who thought so much about herself first, who never learned from her own mistakes and depended on everyone else's generosity to rescue her from the messy situations she constantly created. The girl really needed to start growing up and take accountability for her own actions. Taylor sighed against the frustration building inside of her, forgetting momentarily that she wasn't alone in the room. She didn't bother to hide the fact that she observed Ryan as he slowly left behind the state of slumber.

Ryan awoke to the feel of sunshine on his face; the angle of where it warmed his skin reminded him he was not in his comfortable bed that resided in the Cohen's pool house. He was waking up on the sofa of one Taylor Townsend, or more accurately, Veronica Townsend. His first waking thought was last night had to of been one of the most bizarre nights in all his life.

"Good Morning, Ryan!" Taylor greeted in a very chipper voice.

Ryan barely held back a wince as he opened his eyes and mumbled "good morning," before briefly wondering if someone could really be so cheerful without the aid of a caffeine fix first thing in the morning. He supposed if anyone could accomplish that feat, it would be the girl laying down at the other end of the couch.

"I sent Seth a text message after you fell asleep and he assured me he would cover for you with the 'rents."

"Thank you, I didn't think of that." He admitted.

"You're welcome." She smiled pleased he appreciated her efforts in planning ahead. "He said to call him when you are on the way home and he would fill you in on your cover story."

Ryan nodded knowing it wasn't going to be that easy. Seth was going to require all the details of his night and he was going to have to suffer through countless hours of teasing by the boy who couldn't seem to comprehend the concept of trying ones patience. This would go on until Ryan would eventually be forced to threaten Seth with bodily harm before he would actually shut the hell up. After which Seth would go off and sulk somewhere causing Ryan to wrestle with his conscious about having been so mean when Seth had covered for him verses the truth that Seth didn't know when to quit and not go completely overboard with a subject. Yeah, this was going to be such a fun day, he thought sullenly.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Please." He could deal with the days upcoming events so long as he had his caffeine fix.

Taylor smiled and replied, "I will be right back." She threw back the red blanket and revealed that at some point during the night she had removed her sweatshirt because now she only wore a thin black low cut lacey tank top which clung to her skin although one of the straps was currently falling down one slender shoulder allowing the curve of her left breast to tease his sleep deprived eyes and stir his body awake. When Taylor adjusted the strap in place Ryan had a hard, err, difficult time determining if he was relieved or disappointed. To his surprise Taylor stood up to reveal the sweatshirt hadn't been the only article of clothing she had removed in the night. Rather than her jeans she wore a pair of matching lace boy shorts that complimented the tank top and more importantly her very sexy ass, which he was currently starring attentively at as she walked away completely unself-conscious about her attire.

He was immediately grateful once she was out of sight because it granted him some time to get his body back under control. He was pretty damn sure he wouldn't be getting the image of Taylor with her hair sexily mused from sleep and wearing some pretty awesome lingerie out of his mind anytime soon. It was a good thing she had taken her clothes off after he had fallen asleep because who knows how the night would of gone had she done that earlier. He couldn't believe the directions of his thoughts either. Admittedly Taylor was a pretty girl with an amazing body as he just discovered but he had never considered her in quite **_that_** way. Then again he couldn't recall ever spending more than ten minutes in her presence before. After spending several hours in her company he had a new awareness of her, apparently in more ways than one it seemed. However he was going to do his best to ignore **_that_** and focus on what he had learned about Taylor.

He recalled Seth mentioning to him once that Taylor really wasn't so bad and then he had gone into an explanation of how he had witnessed an intense scene between Taylor and the vicious Veronica Townsend, who had been a complete bitch to her only daughter. In one of Seth's rare moments of astute observations, he explained that Taylor could do nothing right in her mother's eyes and was criticized for her appearance and her lack of friends. Taylor's non-response to her mother's tirade led Seth to believe it hadn't been the first time she had heard that speech, nor would it be the last. Seth was terrified of the woman and doubted she possessed a maternal bone in her body, which meant Taylor suffered the most. Ryan had felt some compassion for Taylor upon hearing the story but honestly hadn't given it much thought afterwards. Until now that is.

Ryan's association with Taylor for the past three years he had attended Harbor had been limited at best. Honestly that was how he had preferred it given his initial impressions of her. They had shared several classes over the years where he had noticed her as an attractive but annoying know-it-all, who always knew the answer to each question every teacher asked. She never had a problem drawing attention to herself by raising her hand, causing eyes to roll as she called out the answers, smiling victoriously as the teachers praised her correct responses. Behavior he had once found to be obnoxious and irritating, he now understood to be an obvious effort to gain acceptance and acclamation from faculty and peers since she couldn't get that from her bitch of a mother.

After talking with Taylor last night about her mom being so driven and career oriented, how her father had left them both when she was seven and since hadn't been any real presence in her life after that because he was too busy with his new family in San Diego, Ryan had a new found appreciation for Taylor Townsend. He could forgive her role in trying to make his life difficult at the beginning of their senior year. He was furious that the dirty dean of discipline had exploited such a vulnerable girl's need for affection and used it to his own twisted advantage. That wasn't to say that Taylor was completely blameless but he could recognize why she had been so willing to act as she had. However she had helped him get back into school by confessing to everything, even if she had been outmaneuvered by Seth and Summer. Knowing what he knew now he could admire Taylor for the way she had stood up against her mother to right the wrong against Marissa, as she campaigned so diligently to get Marissa reinstated back at Harbor for the last semester of their senior year. Ryan imagined that had only made living with Veronica even more horrendous.

Discovering all of this made it complicated for him not to feel compassion and sympathy for her situation. It was extremely hard to deal with life when you didn't have the support of your own family. He had plenty of experience to attest to that. One often made bad choices; his own past was evidence of that. His luck took a huge turn when the Cohen's found him and took him in. That isn't to say that they made it all better, but his new family made it easier to accept the mistakes he did make because they were always there to support him and build him back up. It didn't seem like Taylor had anyone to fulfill that vital role. But in the past few months it seemed like she had come a long way and that he could totally respect. He understood how difficult it was to change. She was beginning to let people in, Seth, Summer and now even himself, which was still a genuine surprise, but he found himself wishing that her new friendships went toward filling the huge void of loneliness in her life. He tried not to question the ease with which she had allowed him in to her life, nor did he try to think about how much he had revealed to her unintentionally. While he was aware of how energetic Taylor was, she also possessed a quiet intensity that he seemed to recognize and was able to communicate with her on a level he shared with few others.

Realizing that he wasn't going to solve the enigma of the girl who was currently invading his mind, he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, just in time to see her approaching with two steaming coffee cups. He noticed she was wearing a robe, if one could call it that considering how short it was and how well it showcased her beautifully tanned legs.

He accepted the mug gratefully with his trademark half smirk and murmured a "thanks," before taking the first sip.

He barely heard her reply of "you're welcome," as the hit of caffeine settled into his system.

Taylor made herself comfortable next to Ryan on the couch, managing to wait all of fifteen seconds before inquiring anxiously, "is it okay?"

"It's perfect." He took another savoring sip to emphasize his statement. "I can't decide which is better, your coffee or hot chocolate."

Taylor smiled at his encouraging words. "Good to know if all else fails I could always open up my own coffee shop."

"I would certainly be a regular." He joked.

His gentle teasing coerced another smile from her lips. "How did you sleep? Well what little you managed, in any case?"

"Fine, how about you?"

"I slept great! Are you hungry? My kitchen skills are rather limited but I would be happy to cook you some breakfast. I can do eggs; it's pretty hard to screw up eggs."

"I am good, but thanks. I really should check in at home before I go fix your car."

"You don't have to go to all that trouble Ryan. I can call my mother's mechanic to take care of it."

"It's no trouble. I would actually enjoy working on it. I used to work on cars all the time in Chino but the Cohen's won't even let me change the oil now. I miss it." He confessed.

"Really? Because I don't want you to feel obligated or anything. It isn't your responsibility to be fixing my car."

"I know that and I don't feel obligated." He reassured her.

She stared at him searching for something on his face to contradict his words before finally asking hesitantly "if you are sure?"

Ryan nodded his head and said "I am."

Taylor fought to keep the tears of gratitude from her eyes. She was very touched by his willingness to help her. "Okay, thank you," she replied softly.

"You're welcome."

"May I ask you for another favor?"

"What is that?"

"Would you mind terribly if I tagged along?" She could see her request surprised him and pressed forward before he could deny her. "Maybe you could give me a lesson, perhaps teach me how to change my oil. It seems only logical that I should learn such a practical skill. You never know when such knowledge could come in handy. You could be the first to further my education."

Ryan barely resisted the urge to shake his head in disbelief. She was a strange girl, especially for someone who grew up in Newport. He had the impression that she was a total girl, not someone the least bit interested in tainting her lovely, delicate hands with motor grease, yet here she was asking him to give her an automotive lesson.

He could see the hope in her eyes and he didn't have the heart to tell her no. "I will be back in two hours."

"Okay! Great! See you then."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement of her words before he started out of the room.

Taylor followed his retreating back as he began to leave the room and clapped her hands together exclaiming "YAY!" quietly.

Or maybe not so quietly because Ryan suddenly turned around and caught Taylor smiling with her hands pressed together beneath her chin striving for a semblance of normalcy. Ryan shot her a reluctant smile with the word strange once again echoing through his mind as he proceeded to leave.

Taylor waited until he was completely out of sight before she shook her head. Then she quickly realized she only had an hour and fifty-eight minutes left before she saw him again. She rushed up the stairs to her room in awe that she was going to be spending the afternoon with Ryan Atwood.

TBC...

**Author's Note 2: I am hoping to include some parts of their actual conversations from the night in future chapters as flashbacks. It just didn't fit into this update. I hope you don't mind or weren't disappointed with the lack of dialogue. Thanks for reading and if you feel like it, please share your thoughts...good or bad. I would love to hear from you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read these stories and / or reviewed. I appreciate all your kind and encouraging words. I hope you enjoy this update and it doesn't disappointed anyone. As promised I included a flashback from their night together and that will be signaled by italics. I would love to hear what you think...good or bad. Thank you for taking the time to read once again. I know who busy life can be. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and all mistakes are completely mine!**

Seth entered the pool house just as Ryan walked out of his bathroom fresh from a shower in the middle of the pulling on a clean tee shirt

Seth entered the pool house just as Ryan walked out of his bathroom in the middle of pulling on a clean tee shirt fresh from a recent shower. Ryan immediately noticed Seth's movements were slower than normal and he was still dressed in his pajamas complete with his flannel robe.

Ryan was surprised it had taken Seth this long to appear. He had spent the whole ride from Taylor's mentally preparing himself for his friend to be waiting on the front steps ready to bombard him with questions.

"Dude was it awkward this morning? And please tell me you video taped it all. Or at the very least you documented this momentous occasion with photographs. Not that I would necessarily want to see it or anything but this is a moment that should be remembered."

"What momentous occasion?" Usually Ryan had an inkling of what his brother was talking about but he was completely lost in their current exchange already.

"Do you think you could give me some pointers on how you talked the two of them into it? I am sure your advice will come in handy now that I am single."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Ryan growled.

"I broke up with Summer last night."

"We'll go back to that once you explain your earlier remarks."

Seth paused and considered for all of five seconds before replying, "I don't know, you can't hold me accountable when I am in this much pain, man."

"Oh I am going to hold you more than accountable" he threatened, annoyed with the shift in conversation though he shouldn't expect less from Seth, "if you don't explain what I am supposed to have video taped or taken pictures of." He was functioning on way too little sleep to possess the patience it required to deal with Seth.

"You're threesome with Sadie and Taylor Townsend."

"My what!"

"Well yeah, unless," his mouth dropped opened in disbelief then closed and Ryan watched him repeat the process several times dreading what came next. He had spent enough time with Seth to read his expressions and he knew that another idea took was taking root in that twisted head of curly brown hair. "Dude you cheated on Sadie with Taylor Townsend?"

"What? No! I didn't cheat on Sadie."

"I don't think she is going to see it that way, with the two of you moving to Berkeley together this fall."

"We're not."

"Huh? You're not? Since when?"

"Last night, you and Summer were not the only ones who broke up on the beach."

"Apparently not." Seth sighed. "Oh Ryan it was so awful! I haven't slept at all really between the excitement of your threesome and –"

"There wasn't any threesome!" Ryan interrupted, trying to focus on the punching bag hanging in the corner of the pool house as a reminder that he didn't pound on people anymore the way he was tempted to do to Seth right now.

"But I didn't know that." Seth protested logically before his eyes grew bigger.

Ryan knew his brother was about the test his patience once more with his next theory. He took several deep breaths in an effort to control himself as he waited for Seth to share his thoughts. It was taking all of his self-control not to throw something at his head.

"So you rebounded with Taylor Townsend, who happens to be used goods by Dean Hess!"

"I didn't sleep with Taylor!" Ryan snapped knowing he was probably over reacting but the reminder of that bastard and his association with Taylor just pissed him off. Now that he knew her a little better he suddenly felt protective of her. He wasn't quite comfortable with this but he accepted it, as he had always been drawn to those who needed his help.

"Yeah, I am not surprised. She probably pulled out her kauma sutra and the two of you went at it all night like bunnies. No wonder you look so tired man. You should really get some sleep. And I will let you as soon as you tell me how to fix this thing with Summer. I can't handle this kind of pain Ryan." Seth whined.

It would be a miracle if he didn't commit murder before the Cohen's returned or before he left to pick Taylor up. "Listen to me, Taylor and I did not have sex last night or this morning." He picked up his keys off the nightstand by the bed knowing he needed to get out of there quickly before he gave in to the violence boiling beneath the surface. "I already told you how to fix it. My answer is the same as it was yesterday, stop lying and tell Summer the truth."

"I can't do that." Seth flung his head back against the chair. "She will throw her whole future away for me."

Ryan shrugged, knowing he wasn't being a good friend however he was unable to feel any sympathy for him at the moment. "Summer's a big girl Seth, which means she is capable of making her own decisions. Give her a chance, she may surprise you. After she goes rage blackout on your ass for this latest stunt."

Seth picked up his head and shook it. "I can't."

"Then you have to find a way to deal with the situation you have created. I will call your parents and check in. See you later."

"Wait, you're going out? Again! I figured we could have some Seth / Ryan time today."

"We just did. Now I have something I need to do."

"Something, or someone, like say, hmm, I don't know, Taylor Townsend."

At those words an image of Taylor dressed in her sexy black lingerie invaded Ryan's mind which only added to his current frustration. Of course Seth was totally oblivious and continued on wallowing in his own misery.

Rather than speaking Ryan gave Seth his fiercest glare before storming out of the pool house.

He tried really hard not to think about the encounter with Seth on his way to pick up Taylor but the image that haunted him from this morning made that task rather difficult. He wasn't sure he liked this new found awareness of Taylor Townsend! It wasn't like he was going to do anything about it in this case either. It had nothing to do with her, he was just going to take a break from girls for awhile. After his last attempts at romance Ryan had come to the conclusions during his walk on the beach that it might be best for him to finish out the school year completely free of any girl drama and maybe start fresh in the fall, in new surroundings, far away from Newport.

He was very tempted to call and tell Taylor that he was just going to fix the car by himself but the memory of the hope he saw reflected in her hazel eyes prevented him from actually picking up the phone. He didn't want to be the one responsible for extinguishing the hope and replacing it with disappointment. He was quite familiar with both emotions and he didn't want to inflict that on someone who was treated so carelessly by many. Spending a few more hours in her company wasn't going to derail him off the new course he had set for himself last night, which consisted of no more girl drama until college. He hoped that if he kept repeating it enough, it would actually happen. Besides hanging out with Taylor was the least he could do after she had listened to him talk most of the night, even if he had been reluctant to initially. Recalling how it had all come about last night caused Ryan to smile for the first time since leaving her house.

_"So Ryan, are you going to tell me about it? Or do I have to guess?" She asked as they settled back against the sofa, each cradling their mugs of the steaming drink topped with whipped cream.__**him**__ all figured out! Since it suited his mood to be a smartass he replied, "guess."_

_"If you think you already know what happened, why bother talking about it?" He retorted sarcastically._

_His response inspired a smile from her as she answered "because you don't talk enough."_

_"I talk when I need to." He answered defensively. Who was this girl? They had engaged in a handful of conversations over the past few months and here she was thinking she had_

_"Hmmm. After you and Marissa barely broke up for who knows how many times, the rumor mill has lost count at this point, but I am getting off track, anyway after your break up with Marissa you rebound with the mysterious Sadie. You get caught up in the excitement of being with someone new and invite her to accompany you to Berkley before you actually think it through. However you are not an impulsive guy at all Ryan Atwood and you began to seriously consider the situation. You knew when you picked her up tonight, and you would pick her up because you are such a gentleman and that trait alone may actually work against you in some situations but again I digress from the real subject, although maybe that is part of the problem too. You knew when you picked her up that it wasn't going to work out, that is why you spent most of the night socializing with classmates whom you see everyday in favor of your lovely girlfriend. How am I doing?" She finished with a triumphant smile._

_Ryan ignored the question and asked one of his own, "how did you get Sadie to tell you all of this after the two of you just met tonight? I figured you would be too busy flirting with your Asian friend to be concerned this much with my love life."_

_"She didn't tell me anything. You could see the tension between the two of you."_

_"Bullshit! Seth and Summer must have told you then."_

_"I didn't see either of them after you all first arrived."_

_"How could you possibly know all of this?" He wondered aloud more to himself than her. He refused to be impressed with her perception of the situation._

_She was all too happy to provide an answer for his confused state. "It really wasn't that hard to figure out Ryan. As I said, your body language gave a lot away and you kept your distance from her which spoke volumes for you. Not to mention your track record wi-"_

_"What is that supposed to mean?" He interrupted her. "My track record?"_

_"I just meant that when you factor in your past relationships, especially girls who are not Marissa Cooper."_

_"Now what in the hell are you talking about? Marissa has nothing to do with this."_

_"Oh Ryan, of course she does."_

_"Okay, you don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. You are barely even friends with her."_

_"It is true Marissa and I have had our differences and we're certainly not friendly enough to confide in one another; however that doesn't mean I am not aware of your history. I may be invisible to the student body of Harbor but that doesn't mean I am oblivious to my peers. I have watched the two of you." She admitted._

_"Sounds like you have way too much time on your hands if you think you know about strangers just by watching them. And don't you think that is just a little perverted?"_

_Taylor rolled her eyes at the implication. "Oh I don't mean that I have watched you in a creepy, psycho stalker sort of way. It's just that human behavior has always fascinated me and Newport has provided me with the most interesting subjects."_

_"Maybe we should explore some of your issues. We wouldn't want history to repeat itself and ruin your chances at a fresh start." He said reaching over to give her green sweatshirt a tug on the arm._

_"You're concern is touching but we are not talking about me."_

_"Why not? By your own admission you haven't had much experience conversing with your peers. This will be good practice for college."_

_"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."_

_"What am I doing?"_

_"Deflecting your problems by focusing on mine in the hopes that I will become so self-involved I will forget the reason I invited you inside in the first place. I am not like the other people you spend your time with, Ryan. Besides I know you are annoyed with my dead on accuracy."_

_"You should know by now that no one likes a know-it-all Taylor!" He muttered because she was right on **ALL** counts, well except for the Marissa part of her analysis._

_Apparently she didn't take offense to his comment as he watched her suppress the beginnings of a smile. Good call, he thought, hating that she was amused at his expense. "So noted even though that is not what I was going for. I am sorry if I came across that way."_

_Ryan nodded his acceptance of her apology even though it was unnecessary._

_"Let's try this again, would you like to talk about it?"_

_"Why bother when you already know what happened?" He insisted._

_"Sure I know the highlights but I am interested in hearing the behind the scenes story Ryan. If you are willing to talk about it, that is. I honestly think it would help if you talked about it." She added quietly._

_Ryan paused to consider the offer. He had finished his hot chocolate and could technically leave whenever he wanted to. He wasn't being kept here against his will. He was in full possession of his keys and knew the direction to the front door from the living room if he wanted to avoid her in-depth interpretation of his current circumstances. Despite his recent claims to her being a know-it-all, he was impressed with her discernment and intuition. The way he saw it, he had two choices; he could go home and deal with Seth's whiny ass and then spend the remainder of the night brooding. Or he could share detailed parts of his life with Taylor fulfilling his curiosity about her insights._

_He stared into the bottom of his empty cup as he weighed his options. "I could probably be persuaded to talk with another cup of hot chocolate."_

_"Normally I am above this kind of extortion."_

_He snorted, "says the girl who conspired with the Dirty Dean of Discipline for Social Chair and had said ass blackmail Seth and Summer to do your biding."_

_"A mistake for which I have apologized for. May I remind you that I have also reformed from my evil ways!" She exclaimed with a mischievous smile and a sparkle in her eyes to match. "However I am going to make an exception and make a brief return to my darker days by giving in to your outrageous demands since you have something I really want."_

_"I think that is wise since you seem to be getting the better end of this bargain."_

_"Oh I think you may be surprised at how therapeutic talking about your problems can be."_

_"I don't have any problems now."_

_"Whatever you say."_

_He watched her rise from the couch, grateful to have bought himself some extra time to decide if he could actually go through with it and open up to her or get the hell out of dodge before she dissected pieces of his life for intense examination. This girl was nothing if not intense, that much he had figured out about **her**. Her perception was quite terrifying, which didn't sooth him any._

_He practically jumped up when he felt her breath drift over his ear as she leaned over the back of the couch to say, "you're gonna be here when I get back, right? This demand for more hot chocolate wouldn't be some sort of ploy to distract me while you make your great escape, now would it?"_

_"I have no idea what you're talking about?"_

_"Uh-huh, so you keep saying."_

_"Paranoid much." Ryan taunted refusing to turn his gaze to meet hers for fear she would see the guilt._

_"Just checking," she purred, patting his shoulder as she straightened. "I'ill be right back."_

_Ryan sighed as she really left the room this time, even though the scent of her lingered in the air around him from her being in such close proximity. All thoughts of fleeing for safety were erased as he realized she might just come after him, if she believed that fiercely in the power of talking. If Seth ever needed a new comic book character he could use Taylor Townsend and her terrifying ability to read minds, though Ryan would strongly recommend she be an ally rather than a villainess. She was someone who would be an asset to the fab four rather than a force to be reckoned with. There were few women he had met in his life that truly frightened him. Kirsten, Summer and now Taylor all came to mind and he acknowledged that she could do worse joining their status considering how amazing he thought both Kirsten and Summer were. They were all terrifying for their own reasons, Summer with her rage blackouts and Kirsten with her calm serenity until you pushed her over the edge, and unleashed the Caleb Nichol side of her personality. He didn't know what it was about the women of Newport but they were not to be underestimated as he could testify to from past experiences. Rather than test his theory of Taylor following him home or not, regardless of the fact that her car was currently deserted in a parking lot, he knew she was resourceful enough to come up with another way of transportation, he sat on the couch thinking up ways to gloss over the upcoming conversation. He had control of how much he was willing to reveal, he reminded himself. With that false sense of security he was ready to take on Taylor Townsend._

It was only now as he pulled up into her driveway once again that he realized just how wrong he had been. He was still in awe at the amount of information he had given her in just a few short hours. The most astounding fact of all though was that he didn't regret it and he had faith that his secrets would be safe with her. There was no denying she knew how to play the Newport game, hiding her flaws and pain behind the fake smiles by presenting a perfect picture with her perfectly pressed clothes, perfectly accessorized for the rest of the world to see. But there the resemblance ended because Taylor possessed a strong sense of loyalty and would never betray the confidence of a friend to impress their superficial peers by supplying the vicious Harbor gossip mill with details of his life that he had divulged to her. Trust didn't come easily for him but his instincts kept reassuring him he could trust her.

Ryan put the car in park and exited the vehicle. That was as far as he got though as the opening of the front door caught his attention. Taylor emerged from the house and practically bounced down the steps in her excitement. Once again Ryan found himself smiling, amused by her enthusiasm and her attire.

"Hello Ryan!" Taylor greeted as she joined him in front of the Cohen's SUV.

"Taylor, um I think we have a problem."

"What would that be?"

"You can't go dressed like that."

"Well why not?"

"Not that it isn't, I mean you look," he searched his brain to come up with the appropriate description for how she looked in her short plaid skirt, an article of clothing she usually wore to school. However one that presently brought to mind visions of a naughty catholic school girl uniform, which he really didn't need given how his morning had gone already. Damn Seth! It wasn't like he needed any more ammunition to fuel his mind, he didn't need to see her long legs exposed to his view all day long. It was bad enough he was struggling not to imagine what sexy lingerie she was wearing underneath her skirt and matching polo shirt.

"Good," Taylor finally supplied an adjective for his wandering mind after several seconds of silence.

At least he hoped it was only a couple seconds lapse. "Yeah, you look good." He could have sworn she blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you."

"But a skirt isn't exactly the most practical thing to wear while working on a car."

"Oh I know that silly." She hit him playfully on the arm. "But I don't have anything appropriate so that is why we are going to make a quick trip to the mall first."

"Just throw on a pair of jeans or something."

"I don't own any jeans. My mom has forbidden me from wearing denim." She explained.

"Are you kidding me?"

Taylor shook her head, "no."

"But why?"

"She thinks they are tacky and therefore not fit for a Townsend woman, no matter what designer name is on the pocket."

"So you've never even worn a pair of jeans before?"

"No."

"You're mother is crazy!"

"Pretty much." Taylor agreed.

"Let's go to the mall then." Ryan said as he opened her car door.

He heard her exclaim "yay!" as she got into the vehicle. Ryan smiled as he rounded the to the drivers side door. He was suddenly looking forward to the adventures of the day because it certainly wasn't going to be boring, not around this girl, who seemed to be full of surprises and contagious charm.

**TBC…**


End file.
